Iowa Finally Passes Budget Despite Abortion Standoff

Iowa’s legislature has been bizarrely obsessed with abortion this session, from ultrasounds to appointees, and they almost let the entire budget to get derailed over whether or not poor women who have been raped should be allowed to obtain an abortion.

A propsed measure offered up by Republicans would have forbidden Medicaid funding to be used to pay for abortions in the case of rape or incest, despite the fact that such a law would be unconstitutional. Luckily, calmer heads prevailed.

Representative Matt Windschitl, a Republican from Missouri Valley, says negotiators could find common ground and decided to table the abortion issue.

“We hit an impasse. House Republicans feel strongly and Senate Democrats feel strongly,” Windschitl says, “so at this point in order to fulfill our commitment to Iowans and make sure that we’re funding our priorities, we took the impasse, we removed it from the rest of the priorities that we need to take care of and it’s going to continue to be a discussion point.”

The abortion fights may be over this session, according to both sides, but just wait until next year rolls around.